8 Deadly Diseases In South Africa That Should Really Scare You More Than Ebola

Ebola has been on the media a lot lately due to the latest outbreak but these deadly diseases in South Africa kill so ruthlessly that they have succeeded in making Ebola a child’s play. These are diseases that are already prevalent in South Africa that are killing much more people than the much dreaded Ebola, most of them are among the most deadly diseases ever known to mankind and take out more lives in a year than Ebola has ever claimed since its discovery. Keep reading as we explore which diseases you should really be more wary of because you will be surprised at what the most ultimate deadly disease of all times in South Africa is.

8. Diabetes Mellitus

You may be aware that Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism that results in high blood glucose which if uncontrolled would result in long-term damage to the tissues including vascular damage and multi-organ dysfunction. Diabetes affects an estimated 8-10 % of the South Africa’s population. Worldwide, the number of people affected by this disease is increasing dramatically and according to the latest WHO available data which was published in April 2011, Diabetes Mellitus Deaths in South Africa reached 19,530 or 3.27% of total deaths making the age adjusted Death Rate to be 66.67 per 100,000 of population every year ranking South Africa the 18th country in the world with highest number of deaths from Diabetes Mellitus.

7. Hypertensive Heart Disease

Hypertensive heart disease refers to heart conditions caused by high blood pressure (hypertension). It’s not a single disease, but rather, a number of different heart disorders all caused by the same thing: the heart working under increased pressure. Hypertensive heart disease includes, among other conditions, heart failure, thickening of the heart muscle, and coronary artery disease. About 37 people die per day because of heart failure alone in South Africa and in general, hypertensive Heart Disease is responsible for over 20,000 deaths per year in South Africa.

6. diarrhoea Diseases

Diarrhoea is one of the most deadly diseases in South Africa that is often neglected. It is a symptom of infections caused by various bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms which mostly results from contaminated food and water sources and is usually more common when there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. While children especially those under 5 years are more susceptible, in more recent times, there has been an overall increase in the number of adult deaths linked to diarrhea diseases. Across the globe, diarrhoea kills over 2 million people annually, most of which occur in Africa and Asia. In South Africa, diarrhea diseases claim over 80 lives per 100,000 of the population resulting in total death in excess of 30,000 deaths per year.

5. Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Respiratory tract infections are responsible for over 2% of all deaths in South Africa. There are two major types of lower respiratory infections: bronchitis and pneumonia. Some of the easily recognizable symptoms of these infections include runny nose and sneezing, headache, and sore throat. Symptoms may include fever in more sever cases like pneumonia.